Connecting-rod for switches.



3.1. JOHNSON. v CONNECTING ROD FOR SWITCHES.

APPLIUATION FILED DEG. 10I 1912.

1,077,141 N Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

117.1. v I I l N gmowm/Coz ELIJAH r. Johnson, on umoir MILLS, NORTHCAROLINA.

conmormdnon Eon swrronss;

-'Si:eoi'fioa.t1on of'ietters Patent.

, r tenteaoct. as, 1913.

A umnommeemember 10 i9i2i semamaraaooa To all whom it mayeon'oera't Beit known that'I, ELIJAH F. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Union Mills, in the county of Rutherford and State of NorthCarolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Connecting-Rodsfor Switches, of which the following' is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad switches, the object being to provideadjus-table meansfor connecting the movable switch points with theswitch-stand mechanism whereby proper adjustment of the! switch pointsmaybe effected at all times to insure proper operation thereof andtoprevent lost motion. v e

A further object ofthe invention is to provide adjustable meansconnecting the movable switch points with each other and with the saidstand to allow for the relative movement of the switch points with eachother and with the connectin rod extending to the switch stand.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists-of certainnovel features of construction; combination and arrangement of arts: aswill be hereinafter describedand claimed. a

In the accompanying drawings :,Figure 1 is-a' plan view ofthe device;Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line a-2 of Fig; 1-;-'and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of theadjustable connecting members.

In the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the movable switchpoints. A transversely extending rod 3 is secured to the switch pom-t2adjacent its free end and oppositely screw-threaded as at '12 and 13,,

has its inner end screw-threaded as at 4:,

. 4W this erfd of the rod'being threaded into a transverse threadedopening 5 in the bolt portion 6 of an adjustable connecting mem* her 7.This bolt portion is rotatably mounted between the arms of a yoke-shapedcufl portion 8 of the connecting member.

jacent its free end and has both of its ends the threads at 12 beingopposite to the threads at 4 on the rod 3. Its inner thread-' ed end 13is adapted to be extended-through the threaded opening 14 in the secondyoke Thecurved connecting portion 9 of this cuff is or suificient sizeand rigidity to retainrits; semicircular-shape, and isprovided with anarcua-te slot 10. A second rod 11 extends transversely through theswitch point 1 admember 15, which form's a portion of theconnectingmember and whichis provided with further through thearcuateslot 10 in the cuff 8-. The belt portion of a similar connecting member17is adjustably connected to the oppositely "threaded end 13 ofthe rod11 and the: cuff-portion of this member is adjnstabl yconnectedtothethreaded end 18 crank 20 ofthe stand mechanism 21. It will thus beseen that, when it is desired to adjust the movable switch points withrelation of a connecting'rod' 19' which extends to the to each other soas to-insure proper engage ment thereof with the track rails,- it ismerely necessary to rotate the cuff- 8'of the connecting member disposedtherebetween and there will thus be a certain amount of deflectionbetween the two rods 3 and 11,

this being accounted for by the double pivotal action ofthe connectingmember connecting the adjacent ends of the said rods, without affectingthe relative distance "between the switch points, no matter what theadjusted position of the connecting member may be. During this action,the bolt portion-rawill swing upon its pivots and the-curved portion 9of the cufi 8 will swing slightly through the slots 16 in the yoke 15,the threaded end 13 of the rod 11 being movable through the arcuate slot10 in the curved portion of the cufi. Similar action will occur in theconnecting member 17 during operation of the switch as will be readilyunderstood fromthe" foregoing descriptionof the operation of the othercon nesting member and which will be due to the different angularpositions of the connecting rod 19.

Having thus descibed my invention, what I claim" is "1. In adevice ofthe class described, the

combination with a pair of movable switch points and operatingmechanismtherefor, of."

tially in transverse alinement, a connecting member adjustably mountedupon the ad-j jacent ends of said rods, the said member being adapted topermit relative angular movement of the said rods, and means forconnecting one of the switch points with the switch operating mechanism.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofmovable switch points and operating mechanism therefor, of a pair ofrods secured individually to the said switch points and disposedsubstantially in transverse alinement, a connecting member mounted uponthe adjacent ends of said rods, the said member being pivotallyconnected to one rod for movement in one plane and connected to theother rod for movement in an angularly disposed plane, and means forconnecting one of said switch points with the switch operatingmechanism.

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a pair of movable switch points and operating mechanismtherefor, 01" a pair of rods secured individually to the said switchpoints and disposed substantially in transverse alin-ement, a connectingmember mounted upon the adjacent ends of said rods, the said memberbeing pivotally connected to one rod for movement in one plane andconnected to the other rod for movement in an angularly disposed plane,

- the said connecting member being longitudinally adjustable upon one ofsaid rods, and

means for connecting one of the switclr points to the switch operatingmechanism.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofswitch points and operating mechanism therefor, of a pair of rodssecured individually to the said switch pointsin substantiallytransverse alinement, means for connecting one of said switch pointswith the operating mechanism, and a connecting member including a boltportion mounted upon the inner end of one of the said rods, a yokeportion having its extremities pivotally mounted upon the bolt portion,and a second yoke portion mounted upon the adjacent end of the coactingrod and provided with alining slots in its arms slidably receiving thecurved cross portion of the first yoke portion.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofswitch points and operating mechanism therefor, of a pair of rodssecured individually to the said switch points in substantiallytransverse alinement,means for connecting one'of said switch points withthe operating mechanism, and a connecting member including a boltport-ion mounted upon the inner end of one of the said rods, a yokeportion having' its extremities pivotally mounted upon the bolt portion,and a second'yoke portion mounted upon the adjacent end of the coactingrod and provided with alining slots in its arms slidably receiving thecurved cross portion of the first yoke portion, the first yoke portionbeing provided with an arcuate slot in its curved portion receiving thesecond rod.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofswitch points'and operating mechanism therefor, of a pair of rodssecured individually to the said switch points in substantiallytransversealinement, means for connecting one of said swltch points withthe operating mechanism, and a connecting member including a boltportion mounted for longitudinal adjustment upon the inner end of one ofthe said rode, a yoke portion having its extremities pivotally mountedupon the bolt portion, and a second yoke portion mounted upon theadjacent end of the coacting rod and provided with alining slots in itsarms slidably receiving the curved cross portion of the first yoke por--tion.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a pair ofswitch points and operating mechanism therefor, of a pair ofrods securedindividually to the said switch points in substantially transversealinement, means forconnecting one of saidswitch points with theoperating mechanism, and a connecting member including a bolt portionmounted upon the inner end of one oi" the said rods, a yoke portionhaving its extremities pivotallyfmounted upon the bolt portion, andasecond portion mounted for longitudinal adjustment upon the adjacentELIJAH F. JOHNSON. Witnesses A. M. EDWARDS, J. B. FREE AN.

hereof I affix my signature five cents cachfby addressing theCommissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G.

